Heating and ventilating apparatus



July 5, 1932. M. o. SNEDIKER 1,866,178

HEATING AND VENTILATING APPARATUS Filed May 5. 1930- Int/c rafe? W W. l

Patented July 5, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MORTON O. SNEDIKEB, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE POWERS REGULATOR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS HEATING AND VENTILATING APPARATUS Application filed Kay 5, 1930. Serial No. 449,948.

My invention relates to heating and ventilatmg and particularly to a novel self-contained air heating and ventilating apparatus.

An object of the invention here disclosed is to provide a self-contained heat regulating unit requiring no auxiliary power for operation, in which enforced circulation of air is provided, in which the admission of inside and outside air is thermostatically controlled and in which the control of the su ply of heat is efiected by self-contained thermostatic means independent of the means that controls the admission of inside and outside air.

The device is particularly designed for school and similar buildings. In such buildings, it is a common requirement that the heating apparatus shall include means for withdrawing definite proportions of air from the space outside of the room to be heated. However, there are times, particularly in the morning, before therooms are occupied, and while still cold, when the admission of cold air from the outside is unnecessary and wasteful. The apparatus here described provides thermostatic control, so arranged that so long as the floor temperature of the room is below a certain predetermined point, no outside air will be admitted and the inside air will be circulated until the temperature has reached a desired point. A like condition may arise when the outside air is extremely cold and the apparatus is incapable of adequately heating the room with the supply comin solely from the outside.

The means or controlling a supply of heat to the apparatus is independent of the thermostatic means just described, and is dependent wholly on the inside temperature, that is, the temperature of the room to be heated.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawin in which i 1 is a sectional 'view on the line 1-1 of F1 2 showing apparatus constructed in accor ance with my invention; and Fig. 2 is an end View thereof, partly in section.

A unit of the heating apparatus comprises a heat cabinet or casing 10 having walls of sheet metal, closed at its top by the cover member 11 having air outlet openin s 12 therein. A screened opening 13 is provi ed in the front wall near the floor for the admission of air from the room within which the cabinet is located. A like opening 14 at the back of the cabinet serves-to admit air from the outside. A heat exchange element 15 preferably in the form of a radiator having fins is connected to a source of steam supply, the admission of steam being controlled by a valve 16, the actuation of which is governed by a fluid pressure regulator of the selfcontained type. This consists of well known elements including a bellows within the casing 17 that serves to move the valve, a flexible tube 18 and a bulb 19 mounted in a position alongside of the cabinet and within a narrow space 20 provided between the vertical walls 21 secured to the end wall of the cabinet. The spacing of the walls 21 and the design of the bulb is such that there is a relatively ve narrow and limited space through whic the air may pass into the cabinet.

Within the cabinet is a motor 22 intended for continuous operation regardless of changes in temperature in the room, the motor having a blower fan 23 on each of the overhung ends of its armature shaft. The fans are mounted in suitable casings 24 having openings to provide for the entrance of air at the eye of the fan and the discharge of air at the top as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. The air thus discharged is caused to pass upwardly over the radiator and thence outwardly through the openings 12, into the room.

Air is supplied to the cabinet through one or the other of the openings 13, 14, depending on the position of the damper 25. This damper is mounted for oscillation on a pivot 26 under the control of the thermostatic mechanism, best shown in Fig. 1. This comprises a thermostat 27 mounted in the path of the air that enters through the opening 13. The extreme positions of the thermostatic finger serves to close one or the other ofthe contacts 28, 29, wires from which lead to a motor 30. The rotation of the motor through suitable reducing means is transmitted to an oscillating arm 31 that actuates the damper,

the extreme positions of the arm 31 serving to close one or the other of the contacts 32, 33.

By the use of this mechanism, a single direc- 5 tion motor may be utilized.

The operation is as follows:

Assuming that the room to be heated is cold, the damper will be in the position shown in Fig. 2. The fan motor being in constant operation and steam being supplied to the radiator, air is drawn into the cabinet through the opening 13 into the fan casing and thence upward over the radiator and into the room. As the temperature of the room is raised, the thermostat 27 will be actuated to throw the damper 25 into a position where the opening 13 is closed and the air is being drawn in from the outside, through opening 14. The thermostat 27 will be set at a point lower than the requiredroom temperature, for example, 65 degrees, whereas the thermostat 19 will be set at the desired room temperature, for example, 70 degrees. So long as the room temperature remains at a point between 65-7O degrees the apparatus will continue to operate as described; that is, the air will be drawn in from the outside, a very small quantity being admitted into the casing through the space 20 past the ther mostat 19 to efl'ect the control thereof according to the room temperature. When the temperature of the room reaches the required point, the radiator will be shut ofi due to the actuation of the admission valve by the regulating unit controlled by the bulb 19. If, with the heat on, the temperature of the air entering at the floor through the opening 13 falls below'the predetermined point, for example 65 degrees, the damper will be shifted and the inside air will be circulated until that abnormal condition is overcome.

An advantage in the construction described is that the apparatus is self-contained, requiring no air pressure or other auxiliary power 45 for operation and insures the avoidance of abnormal cold conditions due to the continued admission of outside air when the heat supply is unable to temper the air as contemplated.

A further advantage is that the apparatus as described may be completed in the factory and installed by ordinary steam fitters without special training or skill. The only operations necessary to be performed by the steam 55 fitters are to make pipe connections identical with those for an ordinary radiator installation.

The form and arrangement of the parts may be varied considerably without departure from the spirit of my invention. For example, it might be possible to actuate the damper and the heat admission valve by the same thermostat and at difl'erent tempera tures, but I am aware of no apparatus capable 65 of performing this double function satlsfactorily without the use of auxiliary power, such as compressed air. One of the principal purposes of this design is to provide self contained controlling means that will avoid the necessity for such additional power, piping and equipment. It will be understood however, that I contemplate the described the other of said inlet openings, a thermostat for controlling the operation of said damper according to the temperature of the air entering the inlet opening from the inside space, said casing providing a restricted inlet opening for air from said inside space, at a point above the main inlet opening from said space, and a second thermostat in said restricted opening for controlling the admission of heat to said heat exchange element. 2. In combination, a casing, a heat exchange element therein, a motor-driven fan within the casing for inducing the travel of air upwardly over said heat exchange element, said casing having air inlet openings 1 in its lower portion and an outlet opening in'its upper portion, a damper for controlling the admission of air to said casing either from the inside or the outside of the space within which the casing is located throughone or the other of said inlet openings, a thermostat for controlling the operation of said damper according to the temperature of the air entering the inlet opening from the inside space, said casing providing a restricted 11 inlet opening for air from said inside s ace at a point above the main inlet opening rom said space, and a second thermostat in said restricted opening for controlling the admission of heat to said heat exchange element.

3. In combination, a casing, a radiator therein, means for effecting movement of a substantially constant and fixed volume of air through said casing and over said ra-v diator, thermostatically controlled means for supplying said air to the casing either from the inside or the outside of the space to which the air discharged from said casing is supplied, said thermostat being governed by the temperature of the air substantially at the floor of the inside space, and separate thermostatic means located at a substantially higher point than said first thermostat for controlling the supply of heat to the radiator.

air through said casing, and over said radiator, thermostatically controlled means for supplying said air to the casing either from the inside or the outside of the space to which the air discharged from said casing is supplied, said thermostatic controlling element being located in the inside intake passage and in such position that when air is being admitted from the outside said thermostatic element is subject to the general temperature of the space near the floor, and a separate thermostatic device for controlling the adand unitary thermostatic means other than said first named thermostatic means, res nsive to the room temperature for contro g the admission of steam to the radiator, said device with its thermostatic control means being adapted to be shipped and installed as a unit.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

MORTON O. SNEDIKER.

missionof heat to said radiator according to the temperature of the inside space.

' 5. In combination, a self contained heating and ventilating device comprising a casing, having an air outlet and two air in lets, one open to the room to be heated near the floor thereof, and the other open to an outside or uncontaminated air space, a blower within said casing for forcing a continuous and fixed quantity of air through the casing and over the radiator, thermostatic means within the casing and within the area of the inside inlet for controlling the admission of air to the casing either from the inside or outside, and other thermostatic means associated with said casing for controlling the admission of heat to the radiator.

6. In combination, a self-contained heat- I ing and ventilating device comprising a casing, having an air outlet and two air inlets, one open to the room to be heated near the floor thereof, and the other open to an outside or uncontaminated air space, a blower within said casing for forcing a continuous and fixed quantity of air through the casing and over the radiator, thermostatic means within the casing and within the area the inside inlet for controlling the admission of air to the casing either from the inside or outside, means providing a restricted opening in the casing wall through which air is constantly drawn by the blower from the room, and a thermostatic element located in said openin for controlling the admission of heat to t e radiator.

7. In combination, a self-contained heating and ventilating device comprising a casing, havingan air outlet and two air inlets, one open to the room to be heated, near the floor thereof and the other open to an outside or uncontaminated air space, a

, radiator, a blower within said casing for forcing a continuous and fixed quantity of air through the casing and over the radiator, unitary thermostatic means for controlling the admission of air to the casing either from the inside or the outside of the room, according to the temperature of the room at a point near the plane of the air inlet from the room, 

